“I simply cannot praise your solicitor enough. He had a very professional yet friendly approach towards us and handled my nephew’s situation efficiently. The advice he gave, was also very useful as sometimes my nephew, myself and the general public are not aware of in terms of their legal rights.”

“My previous solicitors were pushing me to enter a guilty plea for a crime I never actually committed. Had I not been represented by Stephen Lickrish & Associates I would have been in Her Majesty’s custody at this moment in time – I do not intend on meeting anymore people in need of legal representation but I can honestly say that if I did I would know where to send them.”

“I was very impressed by the level of professionalism of your solicitors. I am obviously very happy with the result of my recent case and I believe that it would have been very hard to achieve this outcome without such diligence and guidance on your part and with the team you assembled.”

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, or ABH, is a more serious assault than common assault. If you are arrested or charged with ABH, the police will have to prove that you have unlawfully hit or used force against someone, and that has caused them some kind of injury more serious than bruising or grazing. The assault can be carried out either intentionally (deliberately), or recklessly (carelessly).

If the injuries caused in the allegation are very serious, you could be charged with Grievous Bodily Harm or GBH (either s.18 or s.20). Even if injuries have been caused in an incident, it does not mean the person has committed an offence. For example, if someone has acted in self defence they will not be guilty of an unlawful assault.

ABH is an either way offence, which means that an actual bodily harm charge can be dealt with in either the Magistrates Court or Crown Court, depending on how serious the case is. The charge is so serious, that if you are guilty of the offence there is a very high risk of being sent to prison. This makes it even more important that you are represented by a solicitor who can explain the best way to present your case, and who will act in your best interests.

The maximum sentence for ABH that the Magistrates Court can give is 6 months custody (prison). If they think the case is too serious for this sentence, the case will be dealt with by the Crown Court which can impose up to 5 years.

Stephen Lickrish & Associates have represented clients for ABH at Magistrates Courts and Crown Courts in Manchester and the North West as well as throughout the country, and have the perfect team of solicitors or barristers to make sure you have the best advice for your individual case. If you, or someone you know, are accused of this offence, contactus to see how we can help you.